Rancho San Rafael
Encyclopedia
Rancho San Rafael was a 36403 acres (147.3 km²) Spanish land grant
bordering the Los Angeles River
and the Arroyo Seco
in present day Los Angeles County, California
, given in 1784 to Jose Maria Verdugo
. The rancho includes the present day cities of Glendale
, Eagle Rock, La Cañada, Montrose, and Verdugo City. The rancho's boundaries were primarily defined by the Verdugo Mountains
, Arroyo Seco
, the Los Angeles River
: the boundary followed north along the east bank of the river, and wrapped westerly around Griffith Park
to a point near the park's Travel Town Museum
.
, which was confirmed in 1798 by Governor Diego de Borica
. In 1798 Verdugo retired from the army to become a full-time rancher. Verdugo died in 1831 and he left his property to his surviving son Julio Antonio Verdugo (1789–1876) and daughter María Catalina Verdugo (1799–1837).
With the cession
of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, confirmed by the Commission in 1855, and the grant was patented
to Julio and Catalina Verdugo in 1882.
In 1857, Jonathan R. Scott traded Rancho La Cañada
to Julio and Catalina Verdugo, heirs of Jose Maria Verdugo
, for 4607 acres (19 km²) acres on the west side of Rancho San Rafael - what is today Burbank
. In 1861 Julio and Catalina Verdugo split the rancho between southern (Julio) and northern (Catalina) portions.
In 1861, Julio Verdugo mortgaged a substantial portion of the Rancho to Jacob Elias under terms that he could not afford. By the late 1860s, several parcels of Rancho San Rafael had been either sold, or lost due to foreclosures. Many individuals were claiming ownership to multiple sections of the rancho. In 1871, law partners Alfred Chapman
and Andrew Glassell
, filed a lawsuit, known as "The Great Partition", against thirty-six separate defendants. The plaintiffs contended that there were numerous alleged property owners occupying tracts of land whose boundaries were illegally established. Once the validity of the claims were proven, a partition was demanded. Ultimately, Rancho San Rafael was divided into thirty-one sections given to twenty-eight different people, some of which included members of the Verdugo family.
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
bordering the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
and the Arroyo Seco
Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)
The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Arroyo Seco has been called the most celebrated canyon in Southern California.-River course:...
in present day Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, given in 1784 to Jose Maria Verdugo
Jose Maria Verdugo
José María Verdugo was a soldier from the Presidio of San Diego who was assigned to the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel at the time his land was granted by the Spanish Empire in 1784.-Spanish soldier:...
. The rancho includes the present day cities of Glendale
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
, Eagle Rock, La Cañada, Montrose, and Verdugo City. The rancho's boundaries were primarily defined by the Verdugo Mountains
Verdugo Mountains
The Verdugo Mountains are a small, rugged mountain range of the Transverse Ranges system, located just south of the western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, Southern California...
, Arroyo Seco
Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)
The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Arroyo Seco has been called the most celebrated canyon in Southern California.-River course:...
, the Los Angeles River
Los Angeles River
The Los Angeles River is a river that starts in the San Fernando Valley, in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and flows through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the western end of the San Fernando Valley, nearly southeast to its mouth in Long Beach...
: the boundary followed north along the east bank of the river, and wrapped westerly around Griffith Park
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
to a point near the park's Travel Town Museum
Travel Town Museum
Travel Town Museum is a transport museum within Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California.Travel Town was dedicated on December 14, 1952. There is no charge for museum admission or parking...
.
History
Corporal José María Verdugo (1751–1831), a Spanish soldier who had served with the 1769 Portola-Serra Expedition, received a provisional eight square league grant of the Rancho San Rafael in 1784, from his army commander Governor Pedro FagesPedro Fages
Pere Fages Beleta , nicknamed L'Ós , was a soldier, explorer, and the second Spanish military Governor of Las Californias Province of New Spain from 1770 to 1774, and the Governor of Las Californias from 1782 to 1791.-Life:...
, which was confirmed in 1798 by Governor Diego de Borica
Diego de Borica
Diego de Borica was a Spanish explorer and the seventh Governor of Las Californias from 1794 to 1800, and is credited with defining Alta- and Baja-California's official borders.-Biography:...
. In 1798 Verdugo retired from the army to become a full-time rancher. Verdugo died in 1831 and he left his property to his surviving son Julio Antonio Verdugo (1789–1876) and daughter María Catalina Verdugo (1799–1837).
With the cession
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession of 1848 is a historical name in the United States for the region of the present day southwestern United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S...
of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...
provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim was filed with the Public Land Commission
Public Land Commission
The Public Land Commission, a former agency of the United States government, was created following the admission of California as a state in 1850 . The Commission's purpose was to determine the validity of prior Spanish and Mexican land grants in California.California Senator William M...
in 1852, confirmed by the Commission in 1855, and the grant was patented
Land patent
A land patent is a land grant made patent by the sovereign lord over the land in question. To make a such a grant “patent”, such a sovereign lord must document the land grant, securely sign and seal the document and openly publish the same to the public for all to see...
to Julio and Catalina Verdugo in 1882.
In 1857, Jonathan R. Scott traded Rancho La Cañada
Rancho La Cañada
Rancho La Cañada was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to a Mexican schoolteacher from Los Angeles, Ygnacio Coronel. The name means "ranch of the canyon"...
to Julio and Catalina Verdugo, heirs of Jose Maria Verdugo
Jose Maria Verdugo
José María Verdugo was a soldier from the Presidio of San Diego who was assigned to the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel at the time his land was granted by the Spanish Empire in 1784.-Spanish soldier:...
, for 4607 acres (19 km²) acres on the west side of Rancho San Rafael - what is today Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. In 1861 Julio and Catalina Verdugo split the rancho between southern (Julio) and northern (Catalina) portions.
In 1861, Julio Verdugo mortgaged a substantial portion of the Rancho to Jacob Elias under terms that he could not afford. By the late 1860s, several parcels of Rancho San Rafael had been either sold, or lost due to foreclosures. Many individuals were claiming ownership to multiple sections of the rancho. In 1871, law partners Alfred Chapman
Alfred Chapman
Alfred Beck Chapman was a Los Angeles real estate attorney and investor. He may be best known as one of the founders of the city of Orange, California.-Life:Chapman was born on September 6, 1829, in Greensboro, Alabama...
and Andrew Glassell
Andrew Glassell
Andrew Glassell was a Los Angeles real estate attorney and investor. He may be best known as one of the founders of the city of Orange, California.-Early life and career:...
, filed a lawsuit, known as "The Great Partition", against thirty-six separate defendants. The plaintiffs contended that there were numerous alleged property owners occupying tracts of land whose boundaries were illegally established. Once the validity of the claims were proven, a partition was demanded. Ultimately, Rancho San Rafael was divided into thirty-one sections given to twenty-eight different people, some of which included members of the Verdugo family.
| Name | Allotment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Dreyfus | 8000 acres (32.4 km²) | |
| Alfred Chapman and Andrew Glassell | 5745 acres (23.2 km²) | Lawyers. Location of Glassell Park, Los Angeles. |
| David Burbank | 4607 acres (18.6 km²) | Founder of Burbank. Burbank bought the land from Jonathan R. Scott in 1867. |
| Catalina and Teodoro Verdugo | 3300 acres (13.4 km²) | Member of the Verdugo family. Teodoro was Julio's son. |
| Prudent Beaudry Prudent Beaudry Prudent Beaudry served as the 13th Mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1874 to 1876. A native of Quebec, he was the second French Canadian, and third French American mayor of Los Angeles.-Early life:... |
1702 acres (6.9 km²) | |
| Rafaela Verdugo de Sepulveda | 909 acres (3.7 km²) | Member of the Verdugo family. Rafaela was Julio's daughter and was married to Fernando Sepulveda |
| Captain C. E. Thom Cameron E. Thom Cameron E. Thom who came to California during the gold rush, was a lawyer, a Confederate officer in the Civil War, and the 16th Mayor of Los Angeles .-California:... |
724 acres (2.9 km²) | Founder of Glendale, CA |
| Julio Verdugo | 200 acre (0.809372 km²) | Member of the Verdugo family. |
| Maria Sepulveda de Sanchez | 100 acre (0.404686 km²) | Member of the Verdugo family. Maria Sepulveda (stepdaughter of Rafaela, and daughter of Fernando Sepulveda and Maria Josefa Dominguez) was married to Los Angeles County Sheriff 1860 - 1867, Tomas Avila Sanchez Tomas Avila Sanchez Tomas Avila Sanchez , Californio soldier and public official. He served on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and served as Los Angeles County Sheriff.-Biography:... . |
| Jesse D Hunter | Hunter came to California in 1847 with the Mormon Battalion Mormon Battalion The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States military history, and it served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 559 Latter-day Saints men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular... . In 1854 he bought Rancho Cañada de los Nogales Rancho Cañada de los Nogales Rancho Cañada de los Nogales was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José Maria Aguilar. The name means "canyon of the walnut trees" and refers to stands of California Black Walnut trees... and in 1859, the southern tip of Rancho San Rafael. |
|
| Ozro W Childs |
Historic sites of the Rancho
- Casa Adobe de San Rafael. An 1865 hacienda type adobe built by Tomas Avila Sanchez and Maria Sepulveda.
- Catalina Adobe. An 1860 adobe built by Catalina's nephew, Teodoro Verdugo. The property is the location of the Oak of Peace where early CalifornioCalifornioCalifornio is a term used to identify a Spanish-speaking Catholic people, regardless of race, born in California before 1848...
leaders including Jesus Pico met in 1847 and decided to surrender to Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
John C. FrémontJohn C. FrémontJohn Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
.